The teacher in the foreign journalism history class raised a question, "How did the East Germans adapt to their new life after the fall of the Berlin Wall?"
Thinking of Christina in "Goodbye Lenin", a small room of tens of square meters is the new Germany she faces. in her ideal world. The East Germany outside has changed beyond recognition, interrupted by fast-paced life, assimilated by burgers and cola, imported food is also flooding the shelves, and the long queues at the bank gate every day...
So what kind of dilemma did East Germans face after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
East Germans accustomed to communism will feel that the world is worse, the oppression of capitalists will make them breathless, they will leave, they will be devastated, the old people in the film cry at Christina's birthday party , they reminisce about that era and are full of powerlessness towards this era...
As for the younger generation, they are not sensitive to the tide of the times, and they care about freedom. For Alex in the film, he just joins the demonstrations along with the flow, and the huge demonstrations are not as exciting as the beautiful women they meet by chance. his interest. They are curious about new things in West Germany, and accept it without any hesitation...
These two generations are linked together because of Christina's disease, and they look directly at this era. In order to protect his mother from being stimulated, his son Alex created an idealized East Germany for her, fabricating one after another. Lies continue this country that has existed for 41 years, and what Alex doesn't know is that Christina has long lost hope in the country. She is so passionate about the socialist cause so that children will not be discriminated against for two generations. The lies made this small family shine under the changes of the big environment.
The image of Lenin's waving statue passing by Christina's eyes has become a classic of a generation. Lenin's promise of "communism" has come to nothing. Whether capitalism or socialism is good is not as good as how to adapt to a new life. East Germans need to adapt. The new system is not only an adaptation in appearance and decoration, but also an inner recognition...
The big era will eliminate a generation and make a generation grow up. Alex sprinkled Christina's ashes with fireworks in the familiar land. That generation has passed away, and their generation has to live.
Some say unification is the general trend, East German nostalgia becomes meaningless
East Germany used to be the country with the best development level in the socialist camp, and was called by Khrushchev as "the showcase of socialism". The original state machinery was reorganized, civil servants were laid off, economically, state-owned enterprises were privatized, culturally, the inherent cultural system was denied, and the spirit was severely damaged...
But I have to admit that this new Germany is getting better and better. They can't be dissatisfied, so they can only miss it, not its glory, because although East Germany developed well at the beginning, it is not as good as West Germany. What they miss is that A life of peace and security, even under strict social surveillance, even if freedom is restricted.
Their nostalgia allows us to face up to history, and it also makes us feel less sour when we mention those dark days, because even if we are depressed, there are always people who cherish it.
Today's Germany is growing stronger and reflecting on its own history
The East Germans taught the West Germans to wave the flag, formed nationalism, and regained their national identity. The West Germans taught the East Germans to pursue freedom. Generation after generation of Germans reread history, alerting themselves, and teaching the world, from The reflection on World War II in "A Beautiful Life", to the criticism of the system of suppressing human nature in "Eavesdropping Storm", to the yearning for a better life in "Goodbye Lenin"...
View more about Good Bye Lenin! reviews
